Smoke from Big Cypress brush fire drifts into rural Collier

COPELAND, Fla. — In Copeland, neighborhoods don’t look like subdivisions. Homes sit far apart, tucked between trees and open land. Residents describe the community as quiet and remote, a place where people choose a slower pace of life.

“It’s a bunch of independent thinkers who have their own way of life,” said Don Harmon, a Copeland neighbor. “They like it out here in the more remote area.”

But this week, that quiet came with a haze. Smoke from the 24,000-acre brush fire burning inside Big Cypress National Preserve drifted into parts of rural Collier County overnight and into the morning hours. While flames are not threatening homes in Copeland, residents say the smoke has been noticeable and at times unavoidable.

Visitors Tammy and Tim Reynolds experienced it firsthand after turning off Interstate 75 onto State Road 29.

“The smoke was quite thick. You could feel it in your eyes, breathing it in,” Tim Reynolds said. “Even through the car it was pretty strong.”

The couple said the smoke settled low early in the morning, strong enough that they considered turning around before continuing on to explore the area. By midday, shifting winds helped clear conditions.

For those who live here, though, smoke isn’t just something you pass through.

“You can’t keep the smoke out,” Harmon said. “You can smell it in the trailer as well as you can outside.”

Harmon has lived in Copeland long enough to know fire season is part of life near the Everglades. But he says this year feels different.

“Every dry season brings fire danger,” he said. “And this particular year is worse than average.”

He monitors the water table through his own well and says it’s about as low as he’s seen it this time of year, pointing to an unusually dry February and persistent drought conditions.

While Harmon says the smoke has been more irritating than dangerous for him, he acknowledges it could affect others differently.

“I think people with asthma and stuff like that would probably turn the air on and try to keep out of the smoke,” he said.

Fire crews continue working to contain the fire within a defined perimeter inside Big Cypress National Preserve. Officials say the fire remains 0% contained as suppression efforts and defensive firing operations continue.

In Copeland, residents say they aren’t panicking. But they are watching the wind. In rural communities like this one, smoke can disappear as quickly as it arrives and just as quickly return.